Positioning apparatus of a window shade

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a positioning apparatus of a window shade, installed on an upper beam or a lower beam of said window shade and functioned with a pulling string of said window shade to generate a positioning effect or being pulled thereof and with said pulling string in a tensioned state, said positioning apparatus of said window shade comprising: a supporting stand, having a body part and at least one installation part extended on one side of said body part; and at least one circular ring, attached to said body part, and said puling string at least partially surrounding a circumference of said at least one circular ring to form a winding thereon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention is related to a window shade, in particular, to a positioning apparatus of a window shade.

2. Description of Related Art

Swiss Patent Number CH702766A2 discloses a positioning apparatus of a honeycomb window shade (referred to as the honeycomb shade). The positioning apparatus mainly utilizes a protrusion having an bended surface and a covering block to form the structure thereof; wherein the protrusion includes an bended string slot extending in a vertical direction, and said string slot is of a V-shape arranged in a lateral direction and is provided for a pulling string of the window shade to pass therethrough. The covering block covers the protrusion such that the pulling string is confined to be within the string slot and is prohibited from disengagement therefrom. Furthermore, the pulling string of such honeycomb shade is tensioned to be firmly secured onto the window frame. As the pulling string is at a tensioned state, the pulling string in the string slot can create friction force at the bottom surface of the string slot in order to generate a movement resistance for the positioning apparatus with respect to the pulling string and to achieve the positioning effect.

Accordingly, after a multiple of the positioning apparatus are installed at the upper beam and the lower beam of the honeycomb shade, the pulling string is passed therethrough such that it is ready for use. During the use of the shade, a user can push or pull the upper beam or lower beam upward or downward directly with hand, and in the meanwhile, the user needs to exert a force capable of overcoming the friction force between positioning apparatus and the pulling string in order to move the upper beam or lower beam. As it is moved and positioned and as the pulling string is at the tensioned state, the pulling string is able to generate friction force with the string slot of the positioning apparatus in order to achieve the positioning effect.

However, to effectively provide the friction force, conventionally, pulling strings mostly are steel wires. In the abovementioned method of use, since the string slot is bended, the pulling string can cause serious wearouts at the bended portion of the string slot of the positioning apparatus as it passes through the string slot while the rest portions may be free from wearouts. Such design causing wearouts to a certain single portion thereof can easily damage the structure. As a result, the positioning effect is reduced and eventually, it would lose its ability to be positioned. Such structure will have a shorter lifetime.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a positioning apparatus of a window shade that is capable of introducing more uniform wearouts of the positioning apparatus by the pulling string such that lifetime thereof can be prolonged.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a positioning apparatus of a window shade that is capable of reducing the wearouts of the positioning apparatus by the pulling string such that the lifetime thereof can be prolonged.

To achieve the abovementioned objectives, the present invention provides a positioning apparatus of a window shade, installed on an upper beam or a lower beam of said window shade and functioned with a pulling string of said window shade to generate a positioning effect or being pulled thereof and with said pulling string in a tensioned state, said positioning apparatus of said window shade comprising: a supporting stand, having a body part and at least one installation part disposed on one side of said body part; and at least one circular ring, attached to said body part, and said puling string at least partially surrounding the circumference of said at least one circular ring to form a winding thereon.

Preferably, said at least one installation part is of a quantity of one and extends rearward from said body part, and at least one securing means is provided at a front side of said body part.

Preferably, said at least one installation part is of a quantity of two including an upper installation part and a lower installation part respectively and extend forward from an upper end and a lower end of said body part respectively; said upper installation part and said lower installation part are provided above and below said at least one circular ring respectively; and said at least one circular ring is arranged between said upper installation part and said lower installation part.

Preferably, said upper installation part comprises an upper slat and an upper block, and said upper slat extends forward from the top of said body part and said upper block extends downward from said upper slat; said lower installation part comprises a lower slat and a lower block, and said lower slat extends forward from the bottom of said body part and said lower block extends upward from said lower slat.

Preferably, said upper slat and said lower slat are parallel to each other and covers said at least one circular ring.

Preferably, said upper slat and said lower slat comprise a through-hole respectively provided for said pulling string to pass therethrough.

Preferably, two lateral edges of said body part of said supporting stand extends and bends outward to form an arched shape, and a side-to-side width of said body part is greater than a side-to-side width of said upper slat and said lower slat.

Preferably, said at least one circular ring comprises a securing means and a mounting ring; said securing means is provided on said body part and said mounting ring having an inner ring surface mounted onto said at least one securing means; the circumference of said mounting ring is indented inward to form a ring slot, and said puling string at least partially surrounds said ring slot of said at least one mounting ring to form a winding thereon.

Preferably, said at least one installation part is of a quantity of two including an upper installation part and a lower installation part respectively; said upper installation part comprises an upper slat and an upper block, and said upper slat extends forward from the top of said body part and said upper block extends downward from said upper slat; said lower installation part comprises a lower slat and a lower block, and said lower slat extends forward from the bottom of said body part and said lower block extends upward from said lower slat; a bottom surface of said upper slat and a top surface of said lower slat comprise a restrictor respectively; each one of said restrictor is adjacent to said ring slot of said at least one mounting ring without contacts and blocks said ring slot of said at least one mounting ring externally such that said pulling string is restricted within said ring slot of said at least one mounting ring.

Preferably, said at least one circular ring is of a quantity of one, and said pulling string surrounds said ring slot of said mounting ring completely in one revolution.

Preferably, said at least one circular ring is of a quantity of multiple; said securing means and said corresponding mounting rings are arranged in left and right rows from top to bottom alternatively and are spaced apart from each other with a predetermined distance; said mounting rings are aligned with a virtual line from top to bottom; said pulling string passes by said circular rings and is alternatively wound from left to right to partially surround said ring slot of each one of said mounting rings to form a winding on said ring slot of each one of said mounting rings.

Preferably, said at least one mounting ring is secured on said at least one securing means to prohibit a rotation thereof.

Preferably, said at least one mounting ring is rotatably and pivotally attached to said at least one securing means.

Preferably, said body part comprises at least one circular ring having a surface indented to form a guiding slot thereon; said guiding slot is arranged at least partially along the circumference of said at least one circular ring; said pulling string passes through said guiding slot and at least partially surrounds said circumference of said at least one circular ring to form a winding thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an illustration showing the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention with a pulling string;

FIG. 4 is right side view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an illustration showing the assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention being installed onto the window shade;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the assembly of the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an illustration showing the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention with a pulling string;

FIG. 9 is a right side view of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is an illustration showing the operation of the third embodiment of the present invention with a pulling string;

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the fourth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 13 is an illustration showing the operation of the fourth embodiment of the present invention with a pulling string.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

To describe the technical features of the present invention in greater detail, preferred embodiments of the present invention are provided below along with the accompanied drawings accordingly as follows:

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a first preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a positioning apparatus 10 of a window shade 91, installed on an upper beam 92 or a lower beam 94 of said window shade 91 and functioned with a pulling string 96 of said window shade to generate a positioning effect or being pulled thereof and with said pulling string 96 in a tensioned state, said positioning apparatus 10 of said window shade 91 comprising a supporting stand 11 and at least one circular ring 19, which include following features.

The supporting stand 11 includes a body part 12 and an upper installation part 14 and a lower installation part 16 extended forward on an upper end and a lower end of said body part 12 respectively. In this embodiment, said upper installation part 14 comprises an upper slat 141 and an upper block 142, and said upper slat 141 extends forward from the top of said body part 12 and said upper block 142 extends downward from said upper slat 141; said lower installation part 16 comprises a lower slat 161 and a lower block 162, and said lower slat 161 extends forward from the bottom of said body part 12 and said lower block 162 extends upward from said lower slat 161. The upper installation part 14 and the lower installation part 16 are provided to be hooked onto the upper beam 92 or the lower beam 94 of the window shade 91. Furthermore, said upper slat 141 and said lower slat 161 are parallel with each other. In this embodiment, the upper slat 141 and the lower slat 161 are provided with a through-hole 15 respectively for the pulling string 96 to penetrate therethrough.

In this embodiment, the at least one circular ring 19 is of a quantity of multiple; and each one of said circular rings 19 comprises a securing means 21 and a mounting ring 31. The securing means 21 is provided on the body part 12. The mounting rings 31 having an inner ring surface respectively mounted onto said at least one securing means 21; said upper installation part 14 and said lower installation part 16 are provided above and below said securing means 21 respectively; said mounting rings 31 are provided between said upper installation part 14 and said lower installation part 16. Furthermore, the circumference of said mounting ring 31 is indented inward to form a ring slot 32. In this embodiment, said securing means 21 and said corresponding mounting rings 31 are arranged in left and right rows from top to bottom alternatively and are spaced apart from each other with a predetermined distance, and said mounting rings 31 are aligned with a virtual line VL from top to bottom. The virtual line VL is aligned with the through-holes 15 as shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting rings 31 are secured on each one of the securing means 21 to prohibit a rotation thereof.

In this embodiment, said pulling string 96 passes by said circular rings 31 and is alternatively wound from left to right to partially surround said ring slot 32 of each one of said mounting rings 31 to form a winding on said ring slot 32 of each one of said mounting rings 31.

Accordingly, wherein the upper slat 141 and the lower slat 161 cover the mounting rings 31.

The above describes the structure of the first embodiment of the present invention. The operation of the first embodiment is further provided in the following.

Refer now to FIGS. 3 to 5. Prior to its use, the present invention is installed onto the upper beam 92 or the lower beam 94 with the upper installation part 14 and the lower installation part 16 with the pulling string 96 passes therethrough. It shall be noted that the orientation of the present invention when it's installed on the upper beam 92 is the opposite of the one installed on the lower beam 94.

As shown in FIG. 5, as the user wishes to adjust the window shade 91, the upper beam 92 or the lower beam 94 of the window shade 91 is moved. Since the pulling string 96 is arranged to alternatively interference from left to right with the mounting ring 31 of the three circular rings 19 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pulling string 96 partially surrounds the ring slots 32 of the mounting rings 31. As a result and during the movement thereof, the pulling string 96 passes by the mounting rings 31 and is able to generate friction forces due to said interferences in order to achieve the positioning effect.

According to the structure of the first embodiment, the wearouts of the mounting rings 31 occur uniformly at the surfaces of the ring slots 32 in contact with the pulling string 96 during the use of the pulling string 96 such that much less wearouts than the ones of the conventional bending points and designs occurs and such that the lifetime thereof is prolonged.

It shall be noted that the mounting rings 31 can also be rotatably and pivotally attached to the securing means 21. With such rotatable structure, the mounting rings 31 can be driven to rotate when the pulling string 96 passes by the present invention such that wearouts on the surface of the ring slots 32 can be greatly reduced. Under such rotatable condition, the installation between the mounting rings 31 and the securing means 21 can be introduced of friction forces such that it can similarly provide friction forces for positioning purpose.

Refer now to FIGS. 6 and 7. A second preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a positioning apparatus of a window shade 40 that is similar to said first embodiment but differs in that:

The lateral edges of said body part 42 of said supporting stand 41 extend and bend outward to form an arched shape. Therefore; a side-to-side width of said body part 42 is greater than said upper slat 441 and said lower slat 461 such that the mounting ring 61 is covered.

The at least one circular ring 49 is of a quantity of one.

In this embodiment, said pulling string 96 surrounds said ring slot 62 of said mounting ring 61 completely in one revolution. As shown in FIG. 8, the starting point and finishing point of the revolution are both on the left side of the mounting ring 61. Note that the starting point and finishing point of the revolution can be both on the right side of the mounting ring alternatively as another example. A bottom surface of said upper slat 441 and a top surface of said lower slat 461 comprise a restrictor 45 respectively; each one of said restrictor 45 is adjacent to said ring slot 62 of said mounting ring 61 without contacts and blocks said ring slot 62 of said mounting ring 61 externally such that said pulling string 96 is restricted within said ring slot 62.

Furthermore, the upper installation part 44 and the lower installation part 46 are free of any through-holes. In other words, the pulling string 96 passes by one side of the upper installation part 44 and the lower installation part 46 directly.

The operation of the second embodiment of the present invention is similar to the one of the first embodiment; the following is directed to their differences only:

Refer now to FIGS. 8 and 9. As a user moves the upper beam 92 or the lower beam 94 of the window shade 91 (parts of the window shade being similar to the ones in FIG. 5), the positioning apparatus 40 of the present invention moves along the pulling string 96 and the pulling string 96 moves relatively along the surface of the mounting ring 61. Therefore, due to the friction force between the pulling string 96 and the surface of the mounting ring 61, the positioning effect can be achieved. With such structure of the second embodiment, the wearouts would occur uniformly on the surface of the mounting ring 61 without having one single portion being subject to wearouts such that the lifetime thereof is prolonged.

In the second embodiment, the mounting ring 61 can be secured onto the securing means 51 or can also be rotatably and pivotally attached to the securing means 51. Under the rotatable condition, the installation between the mounting ring 61 and the securing means 51 can be introduced of friction forces such that it can similarly provide friction forces for positioning.

As the other structures of and the effects achievable by the second embodiment are similar to the ones of the first embodiment, details thereof are omitted.

Refer now to FIGS. 10 and 11, A third preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a positioning apparatus of a window shade 70 that is similar to said first embodiment but differs in that:

The supporting stand 71 comprises an installation part 74 extended rearward from the body part 72. The installation part 74 is locked within the track 921 provided on the upper beam 92 or the lower beam (not shown in the figures) of the window shade. The shape of the installation part 74 is known and similar with the one disclosed by Swiss Patent Number CH 702766A2.

Furthermore, the securing means 79 are provided on the front side of the body part 72.

In this embodiment, the installation part 74 is free of any through-holes. The pulling string 96 passes by said circular rings 81 and is alternatively wound from left to right to partially surround said ring slot 82 of each one of said mounting rings 81 to form a winding on said ring slot 82 of each one of said mounting rings 81.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the assembly of each one of the mounting rings 81 on the top and down of the right side and their corresponding securing means 79 can also be replaced by the use of circular columns of the two mounting rings 81 with identical diameters (for example, the circular ring 109 of the fourth embodiment below and as shown in FIG. 12) such that only one mounting ring 81 is used to cooperate with two circular columns in alternative configuration so the pulling string 96 can partially surrounds the mounting ring 81.

Accordingly, this embodiment can similarly use the interference configuration between the mounting rings 81 and the pulling string 96 to achieve the positioning effect.

As the other structures of and the effects achievable by the third embodiment are similar to the ones of the first embodiment, details thereof are omitted.

Refer now to FIGS. 12 and 13, a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a positioning apparatus of a window shade 100 that is similar to said first embodiment but differs in that:

The body part 102 comprises the circular rings 109 having a surface indented to form a guiding slot 103 thereon; said guiding slot 103 is arranged at least partially along the circumference of said circular ring 109; and said pulling string 96 passes through said guiding slot 103 and at least partially surrounds said circumference of said circular rings 109 to form a winding thereon.

Accordingly, this embodiment can similarly utilize the design of arranging the pulling string 96 to be within the guiding slot 103 to allow the interference configuration between the pulling string 96 and the circular rings 109 to occur in order to achieve the positioning effect.

As the other structures of and the effects achievable by the fourth embodiment are similar to the ones of the first embodiment, details thereof are omitted. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A positioning apparatus of a window shade, installed on an upper beam or a lower beam of said window shade and functioned with a pulling string of said window shade to generate a positioning effect or being pulled thereof and with said pulling string in a tensioned state, said positioning apparatus of said window shade comprising: a supporting stand, having a body part; at least one installation part disposed on one side of said body part; and at least one circular ring, attached to said body part, and said pulling string at least partially surrounding the circumference of said at least one circular ring to form a winding thereon.
 2. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one installation part is of a quantity of one and extends rearward from said body part, and an at least one securing means is provided at a front side of said body part.
 3. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one installation part is of a quantity of two including an upper installation part and a lower installation part respectively and extend rearward from an upper end and a lower end of said body part respectively; said upper installation part and said lower installation part are provided above and below said at least one circular ring; and said at least one circular ring is arranged between said upper installation part and said lower installation part.
 4. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 3, wherein said upper installation part comprises an upper slat and an upper block, and said upper slat extends forward from the top of said body part and said upper block extends downward from said upper slat; said lower installation part comprises a lower slat and a lower block, and said lower slat extends forward from the bottom of said body part and said lower block extends upward from said lower slat.
 5. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 4, wherein said upper slat and said lower slat are parallel with each other and covers said at least one circular ring.
 6. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 4, wherein said upper slat and said lower slat comprise a through-hole respectively provided for said pulling string to pass therethrough.
 7. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 4, wherein two lateral edges of said body part of said supporting stand extend and bend outward to form an arched shape, and a side-to-side width of said body part is greater than a side-to-side width of said upper slat and said lower slat.
 8. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one circular ring comprises a securing means and a mounting ring; said securing means is provided on said body part and said mounting ring having an inner ring surface mounted onto said at least one securing means; the circumference of said mounting ring is indented inward to form a ring slot, and said puling string at least partially surrounds said ring slot of said at least one mounting ring to form a winding thereon.
 9. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one installation part is of a quantity of two including an upper installation part and a lower installation part respectively; said upper installation part comprises an upper slat and an upper block, and said upper slat extends forward from the top of said body part and said upper block extends downward from said upper slat; said lower installation part comprises a lower slat and a lower block, and said lower slat extends forward from the bottom of said body part and said lower block extends upward from said lower slat; a bottom surface of said upper slat and a top surface of said lower slat comprise a restrictor respectively; each one of said restrictor is adjacent to said ring slot of said at least one mounting ring without contacts and blocks said ring slot of said at least one mounting ring externally such that said pulling string is restricted within said ring slot of said at least one mounting ring.
 10. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one circular ring is of a quantity of one, and said pulling string surrounds said ring slot of said mounting ring completely in one revolution.
 11. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one circular ring is of a quantity of multiple; said securing means and said corresponding mounting rings are arranged in left and right rows from top to bottom alternatively and are spaced apart from each other with a predetermined distance; said mounting rings are aligned with a virtual line from top to bottom; said pulling string passes by said circular rings and is alternatively wound from left to right to partially surround said ring slot of each one of said mounting rings to form a winding on said ring slot of each one of said mounting rings.
 12. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one mounting ring is secured on said at least one securing means to prohibit a rotation thereof.
 13. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one mounting ring is rotatably and pivotally attached to said at least one securing means.
 14. The positioning apparatus of a window shade as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body part comprises at least one circular ring having a surface indented to form a guiding slot thereon; said guiding slot is arranged at least partially along the circumference of said at least one circular ring; said pulling string passes through said guiding slot and at least partially surrounds said circumference of said at least one circular ring to form a winding thereon. 